The crop protection market represents a total value of around ε22 billion/year. Most biocides are formulated with adjuvants (also known as potentiators) to maximise their efficacy by fulfilling several functions. An adjuvant must provide good wetting of the leaf surface, facilitate the foliar penetration of the biocide under a wide range of climatic conditions and enhance, or at least not inhibit, translocation of the biocide, in particular the herbicide into the plant. In addition, it must not produce phytotoxic effects when used on specific resistant crops.
The use of ethoxylated vegetable oils as additives for biocide and plant protection formulations represents a well known state of the art. One of the first references describing ethoxylated triglycerides for this purpose has been a laid-open publication from earlier German Democratic Republic DD 268147 A1. In this context also reference is made to international patent application WO 98/009518 A1 (Cognis) disclosing agricultural composition comprising a liquid carrier and an emulsifier mixture consisting of alkyl polyglucosides and fatty acids. From the two German applications DE 100 00 320 A1 and DE 100 18 159 A1 (both Cognis) compositions are known comprising certain contact herbicides and ethoxylated fatty alcohols or fatty acids. European patent EP 0804241 B1 (SEPPIC) refers to ethoxylated fatty acid esters and triglycerides and their use as auto-emulsifiable systems for making agricultural compositions. Ethoxylated polyol esters are widely used in the formulation of pesticides. Well known are ethoxylated glycerides like ethoxylates of castor oil or soybean oil, or sorbitol- and sorbitan esters, which can be found in the market. EP 1063883 B1 (Cognis) describes the use of alkoxylation products of alkyl glycosides as adjuvants for agricultural compositions.
Although various types of biocides and also a huge number of additives, like adjuvants, emulsifiers, solubilisers and the like are available in the market, there is constant desire to develop new low viscous solvents and/or emulsifiers with improved low temperature stability, better colour and odour, higher compatibility with polar and non-polar solvents, while at the same time exhibiting a high degree of biodegradability and environmental friendliness. It has been the object of the present invention to comply with these needs of the market.